“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you will know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” James 1:2–4

My husband quotes these verses a lot. I used to feel uncomfortable when he did because I knew I did not “count it joy” when I had difficulties. I often thought of trials as a nuisance. But God has been teaching me, and finally it has become clear to me why I need to count it all joy.

Recently, I read Majestic is Your Name. This book contains a collection of writings by Teresa of Avila, who lived during the fifteenth century. She wrote,

“Be happy when you are blamed and accused wrongly, for then you have the chance to see all the bitter, hostile, or self-pitying responses that your sinful soul wants to spew out— as if these puny things could in any way defend you! Watch and see if any of these poisons come out of you when your spirit is pricked by an accusation. Only then can you see yourself as you are, and confess thy sin that is within you, and forsake yourself again into the Lord’s care.”

You see, when we run into difficulties or accusations, we can choose to respond in joy, or we can react negatively. Our response is the barometer as to how we are doing spiritually.

I encourage you to choose to respond with joy to every difficulty or nuisance that comes your way today. It is an act of affirming that God is the blessed controller of all things.

Lord Jesus, I do thank You for the trials that come into my life. Whenever my soul is pricked by a sarcastic remark, or I am misunderstood or slighted by someone, my reaction to this lets me realize again that I am a sinner, desperately in need of Your strength to respond in love and kindness and patience. Thank You for continually pointing out my need of total reliance on You. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

The post Count it All Joy appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I know I will triumph.” Isaiah 50:7

Marvin and I were driving home from a wedding just west of Olympia, Washington. As is our habit when we drive, we began to talk about things that are important to us. This day we were discussing the coming year’s – goals, resolutions and plans.

Because the previous year had been a year of transition for us, we decided to discuss and re-affirm the commitments we had made to God many years ago. What was it we would continue to do with all our hearts and minds and souls? What would we pour our lives into in the coming year?

Here are some of the affirmations we made to God and to each other for the year:

1. We will continue to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and strength.

2. We will continue serving Him – our aim is to please Him in all of our ways.

3. We will continue to use (read and obey) the Bible as the standard for our lives.

4. We will continue to love and be faithful to each other.

5. We will continue to love and be faithful to our children and grandchildren.

6. We will continue to give our tithes and offerings to the Lord.

7. We will continue to work hard and do the best we can to win people to Christ and help the unfortunate around the world.

There were more, but these were the most important to us.

How about you? Do you write out your commitments to God? If not, I encourage you to do so. Keep them in your Bible, so they are always before you.

Father, we love to do Your will! We love to serve You! Thank You for giving us the grace, the will and power to follow Your ways. In our hearts we say, “Yes Lord, yes!”. Amen.

by Katherine Kehler
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The Truth of Our Commitment

The Beautiful Thing about Commitment

God Honors Our Commitment to Him

The post Affirmations appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Since we moved close to a shopping area, I usually walk to buy groceries.  Often, in the mornings, there is homeless man sitting on the sidewalk near the store. He sits  hunched over, his hat covers most of his face.  He isn’t asking for money, he just sits there.  So I decide to smile and  greet him with a cheerful, “Good morning!” And he looks up and smiles back – is missing most of his teeth – and answers  “Good Morning!”

As you know, people generally just walk by a homeless person without looking at them – very few people look in their eyes.  Smiling and saying a few friendly words brings them encouragement. Helps them feel better.

One night during my quiet time with the Lord, I read  2 Corinthians 3: 18 “ But we Christians have no veils over our faces; we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord.  And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.”

Bill Bright, in his book, Promises, says, “You and I can be mirrors that reflect the glory of the Lord.  As the Spirit of the Lord works within us and we mature, we become more and more like Him”.

Max Lucado, writes, “God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way.  He wants  you to be just like Jesus.”

Years ago, I learned about the power of the Holy Spirit in us as believers. Philippians 2:13 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”  He actually changes our attitudes and actions. There are times when I don’t want to change my attitude, but the Holy Spirit reminds me that He even helps me “want to” change.

Marvin and I both have put this wonderful promise into practice and it has helped us have a great marriage.

He helps us to be nice to a grumpy clerk.  We can be calm when drivers are going to slow. We can be thankful when things are not going the way we expected.

So I encourage you to put into practice the wonderful promise in Philippians 2:13 – at home, with the family, at work –anytime of the day or night – god is always  listening.

Lord, thank you for changing us so we become more and more like Jesus.  Thank you for giving us everything we need to be mirrors that reflect Him.  Amen

By Katherine Kehler
used by permission

The post Just Like Jesus appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“And He [Jesus] said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death’” Mark 14:34

Jesus and His disciples went to a place called Gethsemane to pray. He was well aware of the rejection, torture, and crucifixion that awaited him. He became greatly distressed and troubled and said to His disciples, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death.”

As I read that verse this week, I thought of some of the times when my soul was sorrowful to death. When our five-month-old grandson died, deep sounds of anguish came out of my mouth — from deep within my soul. Not only was I grieving the loss of our grandson, but also the tragic loss our daughter and son-in-law were experiencing.

On reflecting on this time and others, I remembered how I was comforted and strengthened through the reading of the Word and the empathy of many friends. And because Christ Himself had gone through much deeper agony, He now walked with me in my sorrow.

I wonder, are you going through a time of deep anguish right now? An unfaithful spouse? Divorce? A child or spouse or you, yourself, with terminal illness? Death of a loved one? Abuse? Financial impossibilities?

I encourage you to “Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken” (Psalm 55:22).

You probably won’t be freed from the pain and anguish immediately, but He will give you strength for the moment and the day, along with wisdom to know what your next steps should be.

He won’t forsake you.

Lord Jesus, it is so comforting to know that You have gone through anguish and sorrow. You know what we are going through. Thank You for being right there with us all the time, understanding, loving and comforting, strengthening, and giving us wisdom. Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•   Dealing with Inner Turmoil

•   Keeping Yourself in God’s Love – even during painful times in your life

•  Salvation Explained

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Anguish of the Soul appeared first on Thoughts About God.

This was the last week of Lent, also called Passion Week, and I have been reading and reflecting on the last days of Christ and His crucifixion.

I will be forever grateful for Christ’s willingness to go through the agony of carrying our sins (the sins of more than six billion people), and to suffer extreme physical pain — the torture of being whipped and nailed to the cross — and rejection and loneliness. When I think about the love He has for each one of us, I want to prostrate myself on the floor before Him and worship Him.

He went through all of this because we are sinful. However, we can be healed and experience His immense love. We can experience His power, grace, and wisdom every moment of the day and every day of our lives.

Let’s take a look at parts of verses 3 and 5 of Isaiah chapter 53 and reflect on His suffering.

Verse 3: “He was hated and rejected by people.” I find it much easier to be rejected by people who don’t know me, but when I am rejected by relatives or a friend I thought was loyal to me, that really hurts. We know that Christ experienced this, as His disciples all left Him. He too was rejected.

Verse 3: “He experienced much pain and sorrow.” I would venture to say that you have experienced some deep sorrow in your life.  Because of Lou Gehrig’s disease, every muscle in my strong brother’s body deteriorated until all he could do was blink his eyes. Watching him struggle to eat and trying to make us understand what he was trying to say was one of the most sorrowful situations I have ever experienced. He had gone from using canes, to a walker, to a scooter, and finally to a wheelchair. It was sorrowful.

Jesus was with him every moment of every day, strengthening him and us and giving us courage. He has experienced every sorrow we have and ever will go through.

Verse 5: “He was wounded for the wrong things WE did. He was crushed for the evil things we did. The punishment which made us well, was given to Him, And we are healed because of His wounds.”

By Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  The Easter Story – the story of Christ’s death and resurrection

•  Jesus’ Resurrection: Fact or Fiction?

•  Who’s Got the Body?   A short, documented examination of evidences for Jesus’ resurrection.  By Rusty Wright

•  Why Do Christians Celebrate Easter by Dr. James L. Wilson

•  At the Foot of the Cross – Powerful Poem

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL: FOLLOW THIS LINK

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Christ Crucified appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Recently I was reading questions and prayer requests we receive from the visitors to our website, Thoughts about God

My heart was heavy with the heartbreaking situations people are facing “terminal illnesses, extreme financial problems, abuse, addiction, poverty, confusion” and I asked the Lord, “How can I pray for them? How can I give them hope?”

Instantly He brought this song written by Bill and Gloria Gaither came to mind https://gaither.com/home

Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life.

He reminded me that He is totally able to take a tangled messed up life, a confusing situation, a seemingly hopeless relationship and make something beautiful out of it. He is loving and He is all-powerful.

All we have to do is offer Him our brokenness and He takes what we offer Him and makes something good, something beautiful out of it. Nothing is too hard for Him.

Father, thank you, thank you for taking our sorrow, our confusion, our messed up lives and loving us, forgiving us and healing us and strengthening us and guiding us. We love you!  Amen.

By Katherine Kehler
used by permission

FURTHER READING

A New Creature

The New Is Here

Waking up to Life

The post Something Beautiful of My Life appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“The woman left her water jar beside the well and went back to the village and told everyone, Come and meet a man who told me everything I ever did! Can this be the Messiah?'” John 4:28-29

I was sitting in the airport in Johannesburg one day, waiting for my flight.  A woman was sitting beside me and I began a conversation with her.  After a while we got on the topic of spiritual things and soon I was reading the Four Spiritual Laws with her.

When we got to the prayer I asked her if she would like to invite Christ into her life.  She said to me, “I can’t receive Christ because I am divorced.”  It was with joy that I explained to her that we don’t have to be perfect to receive Jesus.  He accepts us just as we are, no matter what we have done.

I explained God’s love to her from different perspectives and all of sudden this wonderful smile crossed her face.  She understood that God loved her just as she was, and she prayed and asked Christ into her life.  Her countenance changed instantly.

I wonder, have you taken the time to introduce your friends to Jesus so that they can experience God’s love?

Father, what a joy to see the transformation in a person’s face when they understand for the first time that you love them and died to cancel out their sin!  Show us the opportunities around us–people who are hungering and thirsting after you.  Give us the words to begin the conversation and lead them to You.  Amen

by Katherine Kehler
used by permission

FURTHER READING

• Love your Neighbor
• Random Acts of Kindness it is amazing how random acts of kindness affect those around you.
• Conversation Starters to transition to Spiritual things
• Ideas to Share Christ

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

The post Care Enough to Tell People about Jesus appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“When we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all of our sins.”  1 John 1:9

We had out-of-town guests, and I was doing laundry every day.  But the dryer wasn’t working properly.  It took over an hour to dry a load of laundry, and the clothes weren’t even warm when I took them out of the dryer.

I mentioned it to my husband, and we checked the dryer manual and read the page called “trouble shooting”.  We checked everything they suggested that could cause the problem – and all but one thing was in working order.  However, we needed to check the dryer air vent outside the house to see if it was clogged.  Marvin climbed up a ladder and looked inside the vent, and guess what?  An old bird nest was in the vent.  It was blocking the air flow—the hot air wasn’t able to escape.  He removed the bird nest, and the dryer started worked like new.

The lesson I learned from this experience was two-fold:

1.  Read the manual written by the manufacturer. They made the dryer and know how to keep it going and how to fix it when things go wrong.

2.  Even a small bird nest can stop the flow of warm air that dries the clothes.

Similarly, in our lives, we must remember to be constantly in tune with our Maker through prayer, reading, and reflecting on God’s Word. God has made us and knows everything about us.  He will warm our hearts when we spend time alone with Him.  When we worship Him, He will point out the things that clog our communication channel to Him.

For example, when I have a critical attitude, I prevent God’s love from warming my heart.  Criticism and love can’t occupy the same space.  However, when we confess our sins to Him, He forgives and cleanses us from all sin and takes the throne of our hearts once again.

How are you doing today?  Do you have a cold heart?  Take time alone with God and ask Him to show you what is stopping His flow of love into your heart.

Father, our wonderful Maker and Friend, we desire our hearts to be warm with your love.  Show us if there is anything in our life that is stopping the flow of your love.  We want a deeper love relationship with You.  Amen

By Katherine Kehler
used by permission

FURTHER READING

Reset Button

Top 10 Ways Not to Hear From God

How You Can Experience God’s Love and Forgiveness (Part 1)

The post Bird Nest in our Dryer Air Vent appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer (and fasting)” Mark 9:29

Prayer became more of a discipline in my life after I yielded the control of life to Jesus Christ and began to walk in the Spirit. (Until then, I called to God in emergencies and before meals, but talking to God had not become a way of life.) Then the Bible became alive to me and I began to pray specifically, trusting in and testing God’s promises. Many, many prayers were answered.

I also began to fast. Sometimes for three days, sometimes once a week, sometimes for 10 days or two weeks. Sometimes it would be a complete fast – only water. Sometimes I would have juice. At times I would give up eating certain foods, or watching television or even wearing makeup.

When our son was in his early 20s, we discovered he was addicted to alcohol.  For a while he alienated himself from us and from the rest of the family. We never saw him drunk – not once – but others had and we loved him too much to let him destroy himself.

I love coffee and our children often joked that I was addicted. So I reasoned, ‘If they are right, my prayers for our son are phony.’  So I decided, with God’s help, I would stop drinking coffee until he quit drinking alcohol.  And that is what I did.  Giving up something I really enjoyed so that perhaps God would deliver our son.

God answered. As a family, we decided to have an intervention. We all told him that we loved him, but knew he was in deep trouble and wanted him to go to a treatment center to get help. Before the intervention, my husband made the arrangements for his flight and stay at the treatment center.  His boss not only gave him a leave of absence, but helped pay for his treatment.  There was only one thing left – he had to agree to go.

Thankfully, he did agree to go and after six weeks at the center he came home.  He was delivered from the addiction to alcohol.

Sometimes we have to fast and pray to have our prayers answered.  If God impresses you to do so, let me encourage you to obey Him.

Father God, I sure don’t understand the increased power that fasting brings to our intercession, but I do know that You expected Your followers to fast. Please cause Your people to fast and pray so Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Thank you.  Amen.

by Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

Healing Prayer for Hurting People

A Prayer for When You are Weak or Ill

A Prayer for When you Feel Like you have Failed

A Prayer for When you are Fearful

A Prayer for Strength during troubling times

A Prayer for Conflict Resolution

A Prayer for Those Carrying Heavy Burdens

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • Twitter  •  Instagram  •  Pinterest

The post Fasting appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“For God is at work within you, helping you want to obey him, and then helping you do what he wants” Philippians 2:13

We were at a garden market choosing flowers for our garden. For 49 years of our marriage I have always done this myself because my husband was working at ministry things. This year we did it together and I discovered our preferences are quite different. Not that one was better than the other – just different.

My first inward reaction was that my preference would look better. But the Holy Spirit reminded me that this was my husband’s garden too. So after discussing various options, we came up with a compromise that satisfied both of us. After planting the flowers together, we agreed the flower garden looked great.

Seemingly little things, but this is what life is made of. How we respond to circumstances can make our life enjoyable or not.

God gave me the grace to yield and not argue. Circumstances in our life keep changing which means we have to change as well. We are unable to change without the Holy Spirit’s power. The above promise from Philippians has been so helpful to me. God helps us want to obey Him and then He also gives us the power to do it.

I thought of a statement Dr. Henry Brandt often used in his talks, “Circumstances will always reveal your spirit.”

How are you doing today? Do you need God’s help to change? He is eager to help you – just ask Him.

Are you ready to ask the Holy Spirit to direct your life? Why not pray this simple prayer right now and by faith invite God to fill you with His Spirit:

Dear Father, I need you. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you by directing my own life. I thank you that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

by Katherine Kehler
used by permission

RELATED ARTICLES: 

• • Knowing Jesus Personally
  • How to have a “Quiet Time”
  • How you can Walk in the Spirit
  • What Should Be Included in Prayer?

The post Grace to Keep on Yielding appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Who has measured the [earth’s] water in the hollow of his hand?” Isaiah 40:12

We were glued to the television reports – watching the powerful Tsunami kill thousands of people and destroy many homes and businesses. The power of this huge wave was truly a wake-up call. God set boundaries for the ocean waves – it can only go so far and then it has to retreat. This tidal wave retreated, but not before it devastated almost everything in its path several miles inland.

Today, I read the above verse:

“Who has measured the [earth’s] water in the hollow of his hand?”

I thought of the tsunami and the huge wall of water coming inland. It was a tremendous amount of water. However, according to the verse above, God holds the water of all the oceans, in His hand.

I tried to imagine how big His hand must be. I couldn’t. Many times the God in our minds is a small God. The above verse gives us a visual picture of our big God.

When my brother Frank was dying, he was naturally concerned about the care of his dear wife, June. The Lord gave him a vision of a huge angel. He said the angel was thirteen stories high. This angel would take care of June. Frank was content.

But the huge angel Frank saw in the vision is nothing compared to God. Try to imagine a hand that is big enough to hold all the water in its palm. Wow!

We have nothing to fear. God is near!

Thank You Lord, for giving us a visual picture of Your greatness. Bring this picture to mind whenever we tend to be afraid. Amen.

When I was in my thirties, I believed in God—was a Christian, was a churchgoer, but I did not know that I was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. I learned that to experience a full and meaningful life, I needed to yield the control of my life to God (I had never done that), then I could experience His love and power moment by moment. This is the prayer I prayed. You can too!

“Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”

By Katherine Kehler
Used by permission

FURTHER READING

Attributes of God

God WILL take care of you

God is Faithful

The post How Big is God? appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Oh LORD God Almighty!
Where is there anyone as mighty as you, Lord?”  Psalm 89:8

I am extremely grateful for our God’s magnificent creation.  I never cease to be amazed at the thousands of varieties of birds, flowers, trees, leaves, rocks and plants.  I love gazing at different mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains in Western Canada in all their grandeur or the mountains of California and Arizona with their varying shadows   I love quiet streams, gushing waterfalls, rivers, lakes, and oceans.  I am continually amazed at the way God controls the oceans – how He allows the tides to come inland just so far and then it has to retreat again.

We read in Isaiah 42: 12

“Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, And marked off the heavens by the span, And calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, And weighed the mountains in a balance And the hills in a pair of scales?”

When I consider that all the water in the world can fit in God’s hand, I know he is a BIG God.

My job keeps me in front of a computer for most of the day and my husband, Marvin, has made a wonderful garden for me just outside my office window.  I get to enjoy rhododendrons, hydrangea, azaleas, and many other flowers while I am working. He has also placed the bird feeder within my view.

One morning, last winter, after a heavy snowfall, I filled up the bird feeder and the birds were so happy.  They proceeded to put on a real show for me—flitting from one branch to another and then back to the feeder.

Many different birds visit us and although I love them all humming birds have always made me stop what I am doing to watch them.  They are amazing:

• They fly forward, backward, shift sideways, stop in midair.
• They can beat their wings 60 to 200 times per second.
• They lap nectar with their tongues (some say that their tongue is like a straw).
• They can fly up to 60 miles an hour.
• They live 5 -6 years in the wild.
• They are the smallest bird in the world.
• They consume, on average, half their weight in sugar each day.
• Some of them migrate 600 miles to a warmer climate.

When I see these little birds with their magnificent iridescent colours, I am reminded of how wonderful and majestic and amazing our God is.  And because He has created so many wonders for us to enjoy here on earth, I know they are but a taste of what He has in store for us in heaven.   For this I am so thankful.

Father, I am so thankful for the wonders of your creation.  Thank you that you didn’t create the world in black and white or without sounds and smells.  I love you God, because you are so great and so kind!  Amen

by Katherine Kehler
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Enjoy God’s Purposes in Creation
• Revel in Creation
• A Prayer of Praise for God’s Creation

Learn more about knowing Jesus at: https://thoughtsaboutgod.com/four-laws/

Follow Us On:  Facebook  • ‘X’ Twitter  •  Instagram  • Pinterest

The post I’m Thankful For appeared first on Thoughts About God.